GRANDSON OF PROPERTY MANAGER A THIEF

A NORTH PORT MAN WAS ARRESTED FRIDAY AFTER AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A STRING OF BURGLARIES IN A PORT CHARLOTTE APARTMENT COMPLEX RUN BY HIS GRANDFATHER.  CHARLOTTE COUNTY DEPUTIES SAY THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN LAST OCTOBER WHEN A COUPLE WHO LIVED IN THE COURTYARD APARTMENTS ON LOVELAND BOULEVARD REPORTED THAT $9000 WORTH OF GOLD AND DIAMOND BRACELETS WERE STOLEN, AND THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FORCED ENTRY.  DEPUTIES LEARNED THAT 27 YEAR OLD JESSE SMITH HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE COUPLE’S LANAI AROUND THE TIME OF THE THEFT, AND HE HAD ACCESS TO KEYS FOR ALL OF THE APARTMENTS.  DEPUTIES LEARNED HE REGULARLY WENT INTO APARTMENTS WHEN RESIDENTS WEREN’T HOME.  THE COUPLE LATER TOLD DEPUTIES THAT SMITH ADMITTED TO THEM HE HAD TAKEN THE JEWELRY AND HAD OFFERED TO PAY THEM OFF.  DEPUTIES ALSO LEARNED THAT SMITH HAD SOLD OR PAWNED OVER 100 ITEMS OF WOMEN’S JEWELRY AT AREA GOLD SHOPS.  SMITH WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY, TWO COUNTS OF GRAND THEFT, BURGLARY, PROVIDING FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP TO A PAWN BROKER AND VIOLATION OF PROBATION FOR DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE.  HE IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND IN THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL.